rcb:

i've always been confused about that. in the PT each shot they fire at each other, whether small, capital or ground unit, their was always some hint of damage

Maybe if you're "confused" by any of the inconsistencies being discussed, you need to remember that these movies were made many years apart, and the effects were achieved under very different circumstances of budget and technical ability. It's very easy to put CG blasts in for every laser fired, but doing that with traditional model work was just not practical to the extent you're expecting.

Technology moves on. It's that simple.